Half to bernard j



no. 6I7,773.' Patented Jan. l7, I899.

- c. v. BDTE.

GAR BRAKE. (Application filed Jan. 12, 1898.) (No Model.) 2 Sheeis$heetl.

Nu. s|7,773.

(No Model.)

Patented Jan. |7, I899. c. v. ROTE.

' GAR BRAKE.

A lication med Jan. 12, 1898.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

cnAnLEs J. nornffor LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TOBERNARD J. MGGRANN, or SAME rLAcE.

CAR-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 617,773, dated January17, 1899.

Application filed January 12, 1898- Serial No. 666.409. (No model.) I

To (all whom it may concern:-

Be it known that I, CHARLES V. Born, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lancaster, county of Lancaster, State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain Improvements in Oar-Brakes, of which the following is aspeci lication. 4 p

This invention relates to improvements in that class of brake-shoes orrubbers, brakeblocks, and brake-beams employed on railway-cars; and theobjects of my improvements are, first, tolengthen the life of the shoe,and thus save the labor and inconvenience of frequently replacing thesame in the brake-block; second, to reduce the amount of metal wastedwith the shoe by increasing the relative amount'therein that can beapplied to the wheel as a rubber; third, to so construct the shoe as toprevent the breaking of'the same; fourth, to facilitate the attachmentof the shoe to the brake-block; fifth,

to construct a brake-block the efficiency of which will not be destroyedby the wearing away of parts thereoffrom accidental engagement with thecar-wheel; sixth, to providea brake-beam having two points of connectionwith the brake-block, and, seventh, tostrengthen the construction of thebrakebeam.

In the present construction of those parts the brake-block is secured atits center to the brake-beam, and the brake-shoe is also securedcentrally to the brake-bl0ck, the ends of the brake-block having ribs onthe ends thereof that bear against the back of the ends of thebrake-shoe. By this construction the shoe is not pressed evenly againstthe wheel, and consequently one end of the shoe wears away much soonerthan the other. In putting in a new shoe the same must be insertedbetween the brake-block and the wheel, and the .work of securing the twotogether must be done in the limited space between the brake-block andthe wheel, which is inconvenientand consumes much time. By reason of thecentral pivotal connection between the brake-beam and the brake-blockwhen the brakes are off of the wheels the ends of the shoe are held atunequal distances from the wheel, so that as the brakes are applied theend of the shoe nearest the wheel is first engaged therewith and thentheother portion of the shoe is brought up against the wheel with asharp flap, which when the shoe is thin or of imperfect material or whenthe weather is very cold is apt tobreak the shoe. There is frequent lossof these shoes also, because the brake-block by reason of itsconstruction bears unequally thereon. The shoe is relatively thin,and itmust be cast aside when about two-thirds of the same are worn away toavoid the risk of wearing them through and grinding off more or less ofthe projections on theinner face of the brakeblock, for. as soon as thatis done the brakeblock must also be replaced, as when oneof theseprojections is partly ground off the brake block will no longer bearproperly against the back of a shoe, so that for this reason aboutone-third of each shoe is lost or wasted. This breaking of the shoes isa source of great loss, delay, and expense. In c0nstructions where thebrake-block and the shoe are formed together the shoe or rubber portionis relativelythin, and when worn through the brake-block portion isworthless for further use. My improvements overcome the ebjections tothe ordinary brake-block and brake-shoe. V

Myinvention consists, first, in the construction and in the manner ofapplying the brakeshoe; second, in the construction of the brakebloek;third, in the construction of the brakebeam,.and, finally, myinventionconsists in the combination of the various parts, ashereinafter fully described, and then pointed out in the claims. I

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification,Figure 1 is a perspective view of the brake-shoes, the brakeblocks, andthe brake-beam properly assembled and seen from the side on which saidshoes are applied to the wheels. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation; Fig. 3, aside elevation; Fig. 4', an inner edge View of one of the brakeblocks,showing the shoes removed; and Fig. 5 is a top plan view of one of thebrake-beams and of the brake-blocks attached thereto.

Fig. 6 is a top view of one end of a National brake-beam with a modifiedform of my improved brake -block attached thereto, and

Fig. 7 a side elevation of said brake-block.

Fig. 8 is a perspective outer end view of one of my brake-shoes, showndetached. Fig. 9 is a side elevation of an ordinary brake-block, shownattached to one of my improved brakebeams.

Similar letters indicate like parts throughout the several views: I

My improved brake-beam and the brakeblocks employed-therewith areillustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. The brake-beam comprises twodiagonally-arranged tubular bars A A, which intersect each other attheir centers, where they engage the head a of'a horizontally-disposedstrut A. The ends of each bar A are connected by a tie-rodA the twotie-rods intersecting each other at and engaging the end a of. strut A.Each of these beams is constructed substantially as the ordinary trussed.tubular beams used for the same purpose; but my beam comprises twotrussed bars arranged as described. In strut A is a perforation a,adapted to be engaged by the ordinary brake-lever, (not shown,) and onthe inner end of said strut are two perforated lips a whereby a supportfor said end of the strut is secured thereto, as is usual.

B B indicate the brake-blocks employed with my improved brake-beam.These blocks are formed of two upright side plates or cheeks 15', setfar enough apart for the purpose to be described, and these cheeks B areunited at the top andbottom by horizontal plates b and at the center byhorizontal plates I). They are further united at the top and bottom bydiagonally-disposed sockets I), located outside of .end plates 19 andengaged by rods A and through which pass tie-rods A said brake-beamsbeing held in engagementwith the brake-blocks by nuts I) on the-outerends of the tie-rods and bearing against bosses on the outer faces ofsaid brake-block, as is usual. In each brake-block are two openings b,located between the two end plates b and .the

7 center plate b, in which openings are secured the brake-shoes. 0n theouter edge of each cheek B are two outward ly-extendin g tongues D, thetongues on the opposite cheeks being located opposite the centers ofopenings b thus forming a continuation of the sides of said openings.

In tongues D are oppositelylocated holes or perforations d, surroundedon the outside of the checks by rims or annu lar flanges d, and throughthese holes the shoes are secured in the blocks by bolts D, held inplace by a split key or keys d On the ends and the center of the inneredges of cheeks B are inwardly-extendin g tongues D The tongues on boththe outer and inner edges of said cheeks are separated by curvedrecesses, said recesses serving to reduce the weight of thebrake-blocks, and at the same time the tongues afford a lengthenedbearin g for the shoes.

The brakeblocks are supported by the usual hangers E, attached to saidblocks at e andto the channel-iron E of the truck-bolster E said hangersengaging between ears b These ears are formed on both ends of cheeks B,so that hangers E may be attached to either end of the brake-blocks.

The shoe comprises an elongated block F, which is inserted lengthwisefrom the outer side of the brake-block through openings b and the innerend of which engages the wheel. The outer end of the shoe is reduced inthickness and in width, as shown at F, to lessen its weight and theamount of metal that must be castaside when the shoe is worn out.Through the shoe are holes or perforations f, adapted to be ranged withthe holes (Z in the checks of the brake-block. The ends of the holes inthe reduced end F of the, shoe are surrounded bya rim or annular flangef to give that end of the shoe a bearin g against the sides of openingsb".

The shoes are inserted through openings b from the outer edge of thebrake-blocks, and for this purpose the hangers E are made somewhatlonger than those used with the ordinary brake-block, so that the upperopenings in said blocks may be located below channel-iron E. As they areworn away the shoes are moved inward and then securedin their newpositions by withdrawing pins D and then again inserting them throughregistering holes f and (2, respectively, in the shoe and in the cheeksof the brake-block. The shoes can be made of such length as may bedesirable, and in any event the amount of metal at the reduced endthereof that must be castaside after the shoe is worn out will berelatively small. tion of the shoe also prevent the same from beingbroken, and it will by the construction shown and described always beapplied to the wheel at the same angle. Should the shoes accidentally beworn down too far, so

that the ends of inwardly-extending tongues D of the brake-blocks areground off more or The shape and disposiless, the efficiency of saidblocks will not be destroyed. As will be observed, the brakeblocks arerigidly secured at both ends to the brake-beam, which is so adjusted onthe brakelever that when properly set and the brakes are applied boththe brake-shoes are simulblocks in the same manner as the brakebeam isattached to the ordinary brake-block. Otherwise the brake-block and thebrakeshoes are constructed as first described, excepting that there issomewhat more distance between the shoe-openings of the brake-block toallow for the passage between said shoes of the end of the brake-beam.

In Fig. 9 is shown inside elevation the application 'of my newbrake-beam to" a brakeblock of the ordinary construction. Thebrake-block M has perforated earsm formed onits ends, through which saidshoe is so:

cured to the double or forked end of my brakebeam.

I do not limit myself to the particular construction of the brake-shoe,the, brake-block, or the brake-beam herein shown and described, as it isobvious that many alterations may be made therein without departing fromthe principle and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is 1. A brake-block having an opening throughthe same from front to back and provided with series of perforations inboth sides between said front and back, in combination with a brake-shoehaving a perforation adapted to range with any of the oppositeperforations of said series, and a bolt constructed to engage theperforation in the brake-shoe and perforationsranging therewith in thesides of the brake-block, for the purpose specified.

2. A brake-block having an opening through the same from front to back'and constructed of separated plates or checks, and tongues on the outeredges of the cheeks and forming an extension of the sides of theopening, in combination with a brake-shoe in engagement with saidopening, and a bolt adapted to engage perforations in said tongues and aperforation in the brake-shoe, for the purpose specified. v

3. A brake-block having an opening through the same from front to backand provided with series of perforations in both sides between saidfront and back, in combination with a brake-shoe having a reduced outerend with a perforation through the same, rims around the ends of theperforations in the brake-shoe, and a bolt adapted to engage theperforations in said brake-shoe and perforations ranging therewith inthe sides of the brake-block, for the purpose specified.

4. A brake-block havingan opening through the same from front to backand formed by separated plates or checks, and tongues on the outer edgesof the cheeks and forming an extension of'the sides of the opening, thesides of the opening having series of holes therein arranged lengthwiseof said opening, in combination with a brake-shoe in endwise engagementwith the opening andhaving therein a hole adapted to be ranged with anyof the extension of the sides of theopening, the sides of the openinghaving series of holes therein arranged lengthwise of said opening, incombination with a brake-shoein endwise engagement with the opening andhaving a rc-' duced outer end, said outer end having a hole thereinadapted to be ranged with any of the holes of said series by an endwisemovement of the brake-shoe, and a pin adapted to engage the holes in thesides of the opening and the hole through the reduced end of thebrakeshoe, for the purpose specified.

6. A brake block having two openings through the same from front to back,and

formed by separated plates or checks, tongues on the outer edges of thecheeks and forming extensions of the sides of the openings, the sides ofthe openings having series of holes therein arranged lengthwise of saidopenings, and tongues at the ends and center of themner edges of saidcheeks, in combination with brake-shoes in endwise engagement with theopenings and having reduced outer ends, the brake-shoes having series ofholes through the same and arranged lengthwise thereof, and pins adaptedto engage the holes through the sides of the openings and those throughthe brake-shoes,'for the purpose specified.

7. A brake-beam comprising diagonallydisposed bars intersecting at thecenter and engaging at said point of intersection with the end of astrut, and tie-rods connecting the ends of each of said bars, saidtie-rods intersecting at, and being engaged with, the other end of thestrut.

8. A brake-beam comprising diagonallydisposed bars intersecting at thecenter and engaging at said point of intersection with the end of astrut, and tie-rods connecting the ends of each of said bars, saidtie-rods intersecting at, and being engaged with, the other end of thestrut, in combination with brake-blocks secured to the forkedextremities of the brake-beam, each of said brakebloeks having anopening through the same extending from back to front, brake-shoesongaging said openings and adapted to be adjusted therein in thedirectionof the length of the openings, and means for securing thebrake-shoes in an adjusted position, for the purpose specified.

0. A brake-beam comprising diagonallydisposed bars intersecting at thecenterand engaged at said point of intersection with the end of a strut,and tie-rods connecting the ends of each of said bars, saidtierrods'interseating at, and being engaged with, the other end of thestrut, in combination with brakeblocks, each brake-block having bothends for securing the brakershoes in adjusted posecured to one of theforked extremities of sitions in the openings,- substantially as and :0tbs larakel-bemn, the brake-gloekshbeinghpliofor the purpose s jecified.vi e Wit 1 openings exten ing t tong te v 1 5 same from backfco front,brake-shoes in end- CHARLES RQTL' wise engagement with said openings and\Vitnesses: adapted to be adjusted therein in the direc- C. G. BASSLER,tion of thelength of the openings, and means WM. R. GERHART.

